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Thursday, December 28, 2006

The Enduring Legacy of Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford: 1913-2006

Chris Floyd
December 28, 2006

I believe that the picture below tells us all we need to know about the lasting impact the presidency of Gerald R. Ford has had on the United States of America, the nation he so proudly led for a couple of years after pardoning the man who was at that time the biggest criminal ever to occupy the Oval Office.

Yes, it was Gerald R. Ford who took those famously amoral and criminally incompetent backroom operators, Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney, out of the lower quadrants of the twisted bowels of the Nixon White House and raised them to the highest levels of American government, where, in one form or another, overtly and covertly, they have inflicted their primitive ideology and violent psychodramas on the nation, and the world, for more than three decades.

But Ford's enduring legacy is in no way exhausted by the glories of his bloodthirsty political progeny. For the sad occasion of the statesman's death is certainly a most appropriate time to recall what is probably his greatest geopolitical masterstroke: the green-lighting of Indonesia's 1975 invasion of East Timor – an act of state-sponsored terrorism that killed more than 200,000 people. True, George W. Bush has now far surpassed that genocidal benchmark, setting new standards of pointless and barbaric mass murder in Iraq – but only with the help of Fordians Cheney and Rumsfeld!

I first wrote about the pivotal role that Ford, along with Henry Kissinger (currently the chief outside adviser to the White House, according to Cheney – hey, it's like the Nixon-Ford era never ended!), back in 2001, just after the release of declassified documents which had been gathered and published by the invaluable National Security Archive (see their report East Timor Revisited for more). As I noted in a follow-up report in May 2006:

...The documents were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act – in June 2001, before George W. Bush gutted the law – but only reported in December of that year by the Washington Post. Kissinger and Ford had long denied any prior knowledge of the murderous assault, even though they'd been feasting with the genocidal Indonesian tyrant Suharto the day before the troops went in. However, in a secret State Department cable, Ford and Kissinger actually told Suharto before the attack that "we understand the problem you have and the intentions you have" and "we will not press you on the issue."

Kissinger, ever mindful of the media angle, added in another love note: "We understand your problem and the need to move quickly but I am only saying that it would be better if it were done after we returned."

The murders were carried out with U.S. weaponry. Congress had restricted their use to defensive purposes only, but Kissinger blithely brushed this aside, assuring Suharto that America would "construe" the invasion as "self-defense rather than a foreign operation." Kinda like Hitler did with Poland.

Naturally, the December 2001 story was buried by the usual bull-roaring of Bush praise in the media. In fact, in the same issue of the Post in which news of the declassification first appeared, you might have been diverted from its revelations by a fascinating piece on the editorial page, a long disquisition on the new ordering of the world, penned by one of our most revered elder statesmen:

Henry Kissinger.

I also noted in the May post that on September 21, 1999, Sander Thoenes, a former colleague of mine at The Moscow Times, was murdered in East Timor, almost certainly by Indonesian military forces, while covering the last throes of Jakarta's fury before East Timor won its independence – another fact to be recorded with the high and mighty deeds of Gerald R. Ford.

[For more on how the enduring legacy of Gerald R. Ford in Indonesia has been erased from history, see this post from Dennis Perrin: Airbrushing the Dead.]

It's unlikely that we will hear very much about these aspects of Gerald R. Ford's enduring legacy in the innumerable encomiums that will fill the corporate media in the coming days. There the focus will undoubtedly be on the way Ford "healed the nation" by thwarting the course of justice and keeping the most depraved operators of the Nixon gang in power. But as a public service, we thought it only fitting to recall these triumphs of the 38th President of the United States.

31 comments:

Anonymous
said...

More liberal compassion on display. Pres Ford is not even cold yet, and libs come out from under their rock and start smearing the manI will buy you a scratching post so you can keep your blowhole closed

this is not trashing Ford. It is simply offering the TRUTH as compared to what the media feeds us. Whenever one of our leaders dies, it is natural to want to paint a false picture that the leader was more great than he really was. Ford did some good things, but he also did things that were not so favored, but you see, the media wants to forget the negative things and wants to paint false pictures of who people really are just because they have passed away. Chris Floyd is simply saying, "look, quit making it appear that Ford was anything more than he was"--thats all he's saying. Nobody really cared for Ford at the time he was President. They hated him for pardoning Nixon, they hated that he gave amnesty to draft dodgers, but look at the media NOW saying "he was a solid rock"-----why? because he's dead? why didnt you say that last year? or 5 years ago? The media barely even mentions that Ford was strongly against the Iraq war and called it a BIG mistake! Ive heard that one ONE news station...ONE. I bet FOX News doesnt mention that, do they???? Hmmmm??????? I will look forward to your "ignore and deflect" reply.

hate to bust your bubble peabrain, but the comments by Pres Ford have been all over the liberal media; and yes, Fox News have reported it as wellLibs like you go out of your way to smear Pres Bush and you look for anything opportunity to rant and rave your hate and kook conspiracy bullshitDem leaders will not even bother to attend his funeral, and if Republicans would pull this on a dead Dem President; kooks like you would be screaming at the top of lungs how cruel and inhuman they areI understand you are in mourning since Saddam is about to assume room temp, and you have probably placed your order with Profloweers.com to send to his family; but get a life son.It seems noone gives a shit about this website. I only post to piss you off (not a hard thing to do) and I am amused to see you post in mostly caps

I dont watch government controlled FAUX news, so yes, I wouldnt know what they report, and simply dont care. I find more truth on bathroom walls. And since you cannot comprehend plain English, I will not keep saying over and over that Im not a Democrat, but that means NOTHING to you. I dont post in caps because Im angry, I do it for emphasis. Caps is simply emphasizing what I say, but since that doesnt fit into your profile of me, you wont believe it--and to tell you the truth, I dont give a shit what you believe. You're so lost, you cannot be found. As far as Saddam goes...am I sad he's dead? Not at all, he was a bastard, but like Phil Donahue said to a pointing, screaming O'Liar, Saddam was "our" bastard. Learn the TRUTH about the United States' history with Saddam in the link on my site underneath the "Lying sack of shit" photo. There you will find TRUTH that you will never see on FAUX News. Saddam was our asset for many many years. Rumsfeld SHOOK HIS HAND in 1983 and we GAVE him weapons and money. Yes, he was "OUR" bastard. Donahue was absolutely correct. Saddam evil? Yes he was. Involved in 9/11? Absolutely not, and Bush has even ADMITTED THIS on national television. Seems as though Bush flip-flopped...."Saddam was involved in 9/11 before he was NOT involved in it"--LOL. We have one ruthless dictator out of the way. Time for our American dictator (who is responsible for the deaths of nearly 700,000 people) to be given justice as well. Am I saying I want Bush dead for his crimes? Of course not, although Im sure youd LOVE to see me say that. I think imprisoned would be as delightful to watch as a beautiful horse running through an open field. One can only dream. It is the typical Neo-con, Straussian philosophy to say that those against Bush want terrorists and ruthless dictators to live or succeed. That's typical. I expect that of you, and you deliver like the babbling sheep FAUX News has created in you. Yes, we think Bush is a criminal, so we MUST want terrorists to LIVE and kill us! That ideology is staright from the Leo Strauss handbook. You Neo-con, right-wing nutjobs HATE liberty and freedom SO MUCH, that YOU create issues that dont even exist in order blame liberals for their inaction over these MADE UP issues and attempt to turn Americans against liberalism when the issues that are used to create this hostility toward liberals were never there to begin with. Bottom line: WE ARE ONTO YOU. WE KNOW WHAT YOURE DOING, WE KNOW THE TRUTH. Saddam murdered his own people, yes, he's an evil bastard, but he never did ONE THING to harm US-------in many ways Saddam was a patsy. Evil in his own country, but an asset to the United States and when evil was done to us, who do we blame? Our buddy, our pal.

So little Larry is angry! Who would have known? Yet you write in the Herald you are not angry - please get your lies straight son.I would not expect a crackpot like you to watch Fox News - they blow your bullshit out of the water on a daily basis, and expose the kook left for what they are.Being a young boy, educated in the liberal public school system, and worshiping other liberal nuts like Donahue (who used to have a TV show but was cancelled due to lack of viewers - Bill on Fox kicked his ass every night) I understand your lack of knowledge of world historyIn the 1980's Iran was a bigger threat to the US then Iraq. As did FDR when he sided with Stalin, at the time it served our interests.However you will rant and foam at the mouth as you attempt to rewrite history and slam your fingers on your keyboard in a vain attempt to justify your distorted view of the world. To you, America is the evil nation and we are responsible for all the ills in the worldHowever I may be at fault for feeding your rage. Like a poiled child who craves attention, when I pay attention to you, you smile and start pounding the keyboard once again. I see I am the only one posting on your piece of shit website, so I am at fault. I hope your shrink does not hold it against me. As I admitted I do enjoy pissing of liberals, even though that is not much of a challenge anymoreYou bellow how freedoms are being taken away, yet I do not see anyone trying to tape your blow hole shut. Keep having your wet dreams of seeing Pres Bush in prison little boy, you will continue to live in your fantasy world until Jan 20, 2009It seems the people you voted for are sticking it to you once again. Pelosi is ignirin you as she treats herself to four days of parties, Reid is off on a long vacation outside the country, and impeachment is no longer being talked aboutDems played you and your ilk for suckers. Of course, that is not a hard thing to do

Larry, I should be nice to you tioday. You and your fellow Bush haters are in mourning today, when Saddam dropped through the trap door, so did your spirits.The liberal media, as usual, is attacking the government of Iraq and, of course, America

This morning's "Today" show characterized the execution of Saddam Hussein in generally negative terms. According to NBC reporter Richard Engel, reporting from Baghdad:

"The Iraqi government is now going to great lengths to say that this execution was carried out with the utmost respect for human rights; that it was a very organized, precise event. However, interviews that we've conducted with witnesses, judges and other people who attended and followed all the proceedings say it was much more emotional and chaotic."

Continued Engel: "The execution was primitive and vindictive. "

This from the publisher of the daily DNC talking points

The Rush to Hang Saddam Hussein

The important question was never really about whether Saddam Hussein was guilty of crimes against humanity. The public record is bulging with the lengthy litany of his vile and unforgivable atrocities: genocidal assaults against the Kurds; aggressive wars against Iran and Kuwait; use of internationally banned weapons like nerve gas; systematic torture of countless thousands of political prisoners.

What really mattered was whether an Iraq freed from his death grip could hold him accountable in a way that nurtured hope for a better future. A carefully conducted, scrupulously fair trial could have helped undo some of the damage inflicted by his rule. It could have set a precedent for the rule of law in a country scarred by decades of arbitrary vindictiveness. It could have fostered a new national unity in an Iraq long manipulated through its religious and ethnic divisions.

It could have, but it didn’t. After a flawed, politicized and divisive trial, Mr. Hussein was handed his sentence: death by hanging. This week, in a cursory 15-minute proceeding, an appeals court upheld that sentence and ordered that it be carried out posthaste. Most Iraqis are now so preoccupied with shielding their families from looming civil war that they seem to have little emotion left to spend on Mr. Hussein or, more important, on their own fading dreams of a new and better Iraq.

Yes, libs hate to see anything positive in the world. Truth will always counter the kook lefts nutty conspiracy theories and talking points

The former Iraq citizens who now live in MI made libs blood boil. Not only did they express their happiness in Saddams death - they (gasp) thanked Pres Bush for liberating Iraq

LOL, god I love it. You point out that America isnt the god-based country all right-wing nutjobs claim it is, and all of a sudden we should move to Canada! lol. So in other words, we cant dissent? Did you know that Thomas Jefferson once said that "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism"?? I guess he should have packed his bags too, huh? You are a TOTAL ass! Mike Gallagher wants to lock up people in camps LIKE HITLER DID, and I say that America does evil and IM the one that should go? You dont think America does or plans evil? I have 4 words for you: OPERATION NORTHWOODS!! GOOGLE IT!

Thats the response I was expecting from you. Instead of ADDRESSING what I CLEARLY say, it's more "kook", "nut" ignore and deflect tactics I EXPECT from one that cannot debate his way out of a loofah. Good job giving me the EXACT response I was expecting! Made up crap? Operation Northwoods is MADE UP? Funny, it was reported in MAINSTREAM MEDIA in 2000, from the Baltimore Sun and ABC News! Made up?? TYPICAL REPLY from those who CANNOT and WILL NOT accept FACTS! You remind me of Davin Coburn. I'm blowing you right out of the water and you look so FOOLISH when you ignore and deflect, it's hilarious! Tell me something----instead of the same old bullshit that I'm a kook and nut---why dont you actually try something NEW and COMMENT on Operation Northwoods. Actually LOOK IT UP, and comment on it. Ignoring it and saying "it's made up" does not make it non-existant. So far, the only thing that is non-existant is your brain and debating skills!

actually AS I SAID , the Baltimore Sun reported Northwoods in 2000, and several papers like the Miami Herald has reported the Pentagon hole being too small and other anomalies, but even I dont use that for my defense because what I said about government control and the elitist control will always be true, no matter what you want to accept as truth. All you did by listing all those papers was just list how many papers that have employees that dont want their careers ended by going public. It's so easy for you to call dissent "hate" because the word "hate" is an attention getter and by using the word "hate" stirs up the shitstorm with others and causes them to be against who you're condeming without these others actually THINKING about what youre saying. Kinda like when you're making fun of someone in a crowd and you call the person a "weirdo" and you look around to see how many people are laughing and joining in just because you take the easy way out and decided to ridicule the person. It's MUCH harder to give the person credit and AGREE with them in face of adversity---thats why the people I mentioned in my post in the Mike Gallagher thread are TRUE heroes--------these are the people that stick up for the ones being mocked in a crowd of hecklers, the ones who are not looking for personal gain and the ones willing to receive the same condemnation as the one they are protecting. YOU, on the other hand are the heckler, the weak, the worthless piece of shit that does not stick up for his fellow man, the one who drives by a helpless, homeless person and pretends not to see them and then later acts like he would help someone if given the chance. You're a selfish, weak, mindless piece of garbage who hates America, hates the troops, hates freedom, hates the Constitution, hates civil liberties and hates TRUTH.

you are such a fucking ASSHOLE! "spit on the military returning from Iraq"???? Is that why I want them ALIVE and you want them fucking DEAD??? Find ONE post I left that even IMPLIED that I hate our military! show me ONE!! I WANT THEM ALIVE ASSHOLE! Your spitting on the ones LUCKY enough TO return and spitting on the DEAD ones! If you love the war so much------GO ENLIST!!!!! Fight your Fuhrer's war---HE NEEDS 20,000 MORE! ENLIST!!

what truth? I asked you to find ONE post where I was against the troops and you DIDNT, because you CANT! And you claim to be a bearer of truth, yet you cant find what I requested? a true asshole! By the way, I see you are STILL logging on and posting, and you couldnt understand why people who hate O'Liar watch him? HYPOCRITE.

Unlike you, I do not hate you Larry. I really feel sorry for you. You go through life, angry, full of hate, rage, screaming for attention, trying to get people to beleive your crackpot conspiracy theories.

I do pity you. I cannot think what your life is like as you wake up every morning thinking what a terrible country you live in, never seeing anything good in life, and as you sit in front of your computer and sprewing your hate toward anyone who disagrees with you

You sprew your venom toward Fox News, Rush, O'Reilly, and Sean who on a dialy basis expose your lies. The last thing you want to have the light of truth shown on you

At the same time I find you somewhat funny. To read your posts as you meltdown and launch into a profanity filled posts is good for a good chuckle

blah blah blah, more babble and gobbli-gook---blah blah blah "Larry, you hate America, you wake up full of hatred, blah blah blah"---same ole, same ole shit. Same old dodge and deflect from the issues. Its so easy just to call someone a nut and say they are filled with hate and they hate America and say that I wake up every day full of hate----when are you gonna change your tune? Isn't posting the SAME post EVERY day getting extremely tiresome to you? Why dont you address ANYTHING I say? STILL you have not addressed Northwoods yet!! When, oh WHEN will you address it? Will you EVER? EVER? Im waiting.......very patiently. Yet I wait, and wait and wait---and you ignore, ignore, ignore. Usually, before people disagree with someone, they debate the issue first. Both parties state their views, then they agree or disgree. You just IGNORE the issue and still call it a NUT theory, but yet offer NO reasons WHY. You'd make a terrible lawyer. "my client is innocent, and youre a NUT if you think he's guilty!"----Judge: why is he innocent? You: He's just innocent, because he is! And youre a NUT for not believing he is!" LOL----sounds silly, but thats how silly you look when i CONTINUALLY address Northwoods and you CONTINUALLY ignore it! Its quite hilarious. Im not angry, Im actually laughing, because my points are solidified every time you ignore it.

So, Connally saying there WAS at least TWO shots is a THEORY? hahahahahahahahahahaha. Youre the one stuck on STUPID----you keep dodging the question--------you're stuck on IGNORE! What about Connally's testimony?